LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 308, 24 December 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A six-roomed house at Toko, owned by Mr. D. Maxwell, was destroyed by fire on Friday night. The building was insured in the United Insurance office for £175. The mutual meeting of the New Plymouth Caledonian Society, which was to have been held last nigiit, was, owing to a number of other fixtures being held at the same time, adjourned till Tuesday next. At a sale of rare postage stamps recently in London a New Zealand 1808 shilling green fetched .fill Ids. Other high prices were a perforated Victorian orange of the 18U0-18C2 issue, which realised .til, and a Xew South Wales penny red, 1851, JCi (js. Speaking al a presentation made at Devonpoi't to .Mr. K W. Alison., ex-M.P., Mr. Alu.ssey, Leader of the Opposition, said: "T'iie Opposition have done very well in connection with the recent elections, but I am net satisfied, nor do I intend to lie satislied until we have doubled our present number of members."

Two gentlemen and a lady reached the mountain summit from the northern house last week. They informed the caretaker they experienced no dilliculty in accomplishing the task. Everything is in splendid order at the house. Visitors will find no trouble in driving right up to the house and can either stable or paddock their horses. Ai the Police Court yesterday afternoon, before Air. C. Lepper, J.P., Charles Wilson was charged with the (heft of .till, property of William Pearcc, of ■Xiho Niho. Ohnra. It appears that Wilson and lVaroe were mates and a contract and the former drew Hie money and is alleged to have absconded. He was arrested at Urenui on Tuesday and brought into town yesterday. Accused was remanded for a week.

Air. Kate, the secretary of the Hawera Opposition 'banquet, has received a letter from Air. W. T. Masscy, the Leader of the Opposition, in which he says: '1 thoroughly .agree with the suggestion that, we 'should suitably celebrate the Opposition victories in Taranaki. I think the end of January would suit me better than any other date, as I have promised to attendf a function at Palmerston North about the beginning of February, and I should like to make one trip serve both purposes."—Star.

Wangallui is revelling in unaccustomed electric cars. At present there are only four ftirs—two box and two combination, built on the Christehurth plan, with open cads arfil the box m the centre. The cars are broader than those of Wellington, and quite comfortable. The first accident occurred at Aramoho on Friday night, when a car ran oil' the end of the line (which is not marked by a light), and narrowly escaped being precipitated into the river. The passengers received a shock. The cars artv being very well patronised. Here's a few curious things i have struck, says a writer : Call a girl a chick, and she smiles ; call a woman a hen and she howls. Call a young woman a witch, and she is pleased ; call an old woman one, and she is indiguajit. Call a girl a kitten nail she rather likes it; call a woman a eat, and look out for scratches. And it's the same with men. Call a young fellow a gay dog, and see him smile; mention that he is a pup, a hound or a cur and look out for your face, lie doesn't mind being termed a bull 01 a bear ; but nlenlion ■ he's a calf or a cub, and see the result.

It might not be generally Known that cigarette smoking by ladies is becoming •• quite the thing" in Masterton (says the Age). One tobacconist informed a representative of this journal that in consequence of tile, practice becoming so general lie now kept a special stock of cigarettes made especially for ladies. He had quite a number of customers for these, not only ladies themselves, but young men who purchased the fragrant weed presumably for their female friends. Female smoking has not Wen noticed in the streets yet, but the reporter was assured that it was indulged k in to no small extent privately.

Referring to matters connected with gills' scholarships, .Miss AYhitclaw. headmistress ul' tin- Auckland CrnininniSchool, remarks.in hi-r annual report: •'Those girls who mean to compete with nie,i in the same professional work must. I suppose, take the same examinations.'but for others 1 eitnnot see why we should not difl'crentiate mueli move ill the subjects chosen. There was a need in the sixties or seventies of hist century to show what women could do. hut that has been demonstrated so often and so forcibly that it needs 30 proof in these days, and there seems little reason why •women required to fill such a very different function fron|, men in the universe should s|aviflhlv' follow and adhere to all that,,^)'Ji'e,, necessary in the jafc te,V .Khnih.,, -. '-I ~v What illicit, bt^.eullutilihe■■balance'oft insect life has liciM '.■strikinglyndemon-i straU'4 An Hawoia.gardens :this beason . (says this. Stuiii) >: : Jr.i the,, spuing, Using, i<li'V) .there, ,wn.s.,,i veviiabk jAigue :<if) , : a|ilns a;a<i black. .1 •■lClieyngriclced. juul .riuot)|ure(J„;,ev.(:rywheri!)i iblighting: a i' l l„.l>vvv«.'Wtfl.ig'ifiil6V(ll«i)munl!:roii-iLalli' hand?, a few. .hidybi'rdii; iapo psa,tyu>a , H_di,local [.enthusiasts extended; • a.,|heurty weJowue,...•■ One nunfe'. ,teur, : collected,, atii /.tcn/ntcd ,Iq ,|lir*'4 t)io v JfKjjvl>»Jt|<lii',roiiera,,.ti<i|w.: to, dJie i.pavtivtlli'ir j»,laut«|.ilie les- ; .IV'iifiH.VMlilliW/J! bW /auvvvi.'li'hc'; ostle: shelbwingjf ( |.„.if|i;up4,|||,fi tl)i|.,->pencil, flourished enormously 011 the juicy pest, and if we go through toihiy it is astonishing what myriads of ladybirds there are and what 'tremendous havoc lias Wen played with the destructive aphis, A deputation representing the H.i(vera Chamber ul Commerce, consisting of Messrs. 11. W. Sutton (.Mayor), liarton, Brunette, and Sargent, waited upon ' Sir .1. (j. Ward (Premier) at the llawera railway station on Saturday evening in connection with the rumors" of proposed alterations to the timetable on the Welling to n-Xcw Plymouth line. The deputation asked that the Covernmcnl, before filially settling upon a new timetable (consequent on the North Island .Main Trunk line completion), should .submit the proposed timetable to the Chamber of Commerce, so as to afford an opportunity of making suggestions and supplying information to the f!o----vcruiucnt. Sir .1. (I. Ward said the Department intended to give the public all the coiiveiiicniT possible. The rinning »f the North Island .Main Trunk liailwav was bound lo make some difference, but what it would be he could not I ell. The limetables were now being arranged, lie instanced the difficulty of dealing with sectional suggestions, as the Department had to deal with the whole sysleim. Careful enquiries were made by the Department before a decision was arrived at. They could not give everybody satisfaction, as there must be sonic disabilities in a. long train scrvier. T'hey did not know themselves yet what the train arrangements would be. In reply to a further statement about'rumors that the dining car was to be taken oil' the mail train. Sir .1. <!. Ward said there was no intention at present o.f making any change. It would all depend as to how'the Main Trunk line nHeeled the traffic on tire .New Plymouth section.